Grape And Apple Are Ripe For A Merger

The Grapple's Novelty And Kid-friendly Appeal Have The Produce Market Buzzing About This Juicy Deal.

March 30, 2005|By Heather Mcpherson, Sentinel Food Editor

Close your eyes and take a whiff. The scent is unmistakable: Even in the momentary darkness, you can visualize the tight cluster of plump, indigo grapes.

Open your eyes and there's no one dangling fruit before you, just a squat, nicely rounded Fuji apple with a softly streaked skin.

Meet the grapple -- pronounced GRAPE-el -- the newbie in the produce bin.

The fruit twist is not the result of hybrid breeding. The lingering grape aroma comes from bathing the Washington State apples in Concord grape flavoring.

"On the package it says `artificial,' " says Leslie Spencer, director of consumer relations and strategic communication for Publix Super Markets, "but that's because the flavoring is not indigenous to the apple. It is grape juice. We're hoping the distributor can come up with wording that meets the labeling standard and gives the consumer a clearer idea of how natural the process is."

Publix, Albertson's and Sam's Club are Central Florida stores that have recently added grapples to their fresh produce inventories. The fruit comes in clear clamshell four packs and sells for about $4.

"Our managers are getting a lot of feedback from parents who say their kids love the grape flavoring," says Spencer.

In a taste test, the fruit holds true to the Fuji's crisp traits, but a waft of grape permeates each bite.

"The idea came from the Snyder family who own C&O Nursery in Wenatchee, Wash.," says Blair McHaney, chief operating officer of Get Fit Foods, distributor of the apples. "We have had a long relationship with the C&O, so the partnering was a natural."

Besides the novelty, says McHaney, "Grapes are a kid favorite. Adding the essence to an apple helps parents get their children to eat more fruit."

For more information, check the company's Web site at grapple fruits.com.